59 PROSPECT PEAKS are Hawaiian or shield volcanos made of countless thin basaltic lava flows from a central vent, producing shield-shaped outlines. The sharp peaks on top of these two mountains are small cinder cones. Badger Mountain is a plug volcano like Chaos Crags or Lassen Peak. West Peak is outside the park and on it is a Forest Service fire look-out station. To the north and northeast are typical virgin forests mantling a sea of minor volcanic peaks. [Illustration: Landscape] LATOUR BUTTE MAGEE PEAK SUGAR LOAF PEAK HAT CREEK RIM HAT CREEK FAULT WEST PROSPECT PEAK PROSPECT PEAK BADGER MT. The HAT CREEK FAULT SCARP, outside the park, is a great crack in the earth where an enormous block to the east, known as the Hat Creek Rim, rose. The scarp, or bluff, runs about 25 miles north. This is the beginning of the so-called basin range structure of Nevada which is largely composed of such variously tilted fault blocks. (0.6 mile) 60 NOBLES PASS, elevation about 6,000 feet, was discovered by William H. Nobles. In 1852 he offered to reveal the route to business men of Shasta City, then the leading settlement of Northern California, for $2,000. The new route, the most popular into this region, started at Black Rock, Nevada, and entered the northeast corner of the park at Butte Lake. This Nobles, or Old Emigrant, Trail is still visible to the northeast through the chaparral. From this point, it went west along the south base of Table Mountain and left the park near the highway “Y” beyond Manzanita Lake. Numerous authentic pioneer relics have been found along the route. The chaparral brush formation here is composed of greenleaf manzanita, snowbrush, ceanothus, and bitter cherry. Establishment of the chaparral is often the first step in the natural reforestation of an area swept by forest fires. (0.4 mile) 61 This is one of the largest WHITE FIR trees in the United States. It is 168 feet high and has a circumference of 20 feet, 7 inches. [Illustration: WHITE FIR] This vicinity is known as SUNFLOWER FLAT due to the abundance of the flower-like plant called wooly wyethia which blossoms in mid-summer. Other flowers to be seen are: skyrocket gilia, California stickweed, Nuttall larkspur, and Pacific monardella. A few brilliant red snowplants are often to be found here up into mid-summer. Remember, no flower picking is allowed in our National Parks. [Illustration: SKYROCKET GILIA (red)] [Illustration: CALIFORNIA STICKSEED (white)] [Illustration: NUTTALL LARKSPUR (blue)] [Illustration: PACIFIC MONARDELLA (white to lavender)] (0.2 mile) 62 The sudden change in topography indicates the east edge of CHAOS JUMBLES ... the huge landslide from nearby Chaos Crags.